Picture this:
A 23 year old Amadi will wake up on election day to go meet his friends at a restaurant so that they can eat a plate of pepper soup. They’ll laugh a little louder than usual, because deep down, they all know this might be the last time they'll ever chill like this in years. By next month, one of them will be in Ghana, another will be in Rwanda, the others will go anywhere that feels like it has a future because they know that a 2nd tenure under Tinubu means the end of their dreams.
Halima won’t be at her polling unit, neither will she be bothered about election updates. She’ll be at an embassy queue before sunrise, documents in hand, eyes tired but certain. For her, that decision will be final: hope, processed and stamped out.
Back home, life will adjust in darker ways. News of kidnappings will no longer shock anyone... it will blend into our routine. A neighbour goes missing, and instead of outrage, there’s a quiet sigh… then silence. Because everyone is calculating and waiting for their own turn.
There will be no riots. No headlines.
Just a slow, collective withdrawal.
Apathy will win. It won't be loud, but trust me... it will be complete.
Anarchy Looms by Kenneth Okonkwo will be your official ringtone. If you're even opprtuned to have a phone by then.
This day, everyone went out and I was alone, so I slept off.
My brother came back and was banging on the gate; even the dogs were barking, so he had to jump the fence.
He woke me up with a hard slap. I didn't feel the pain because my mind was still processing from the sleep.